JAMES    C.    SUMNER, 

THE 

•  •  TOUNG  SOLDIER  READY-  FOR  DEATH. 

By  REV.  W.  H.  McINTOSH,  Marion,  Ala.'    :. 


•'' Therefore  be  ye  also.ready  ;  for  in  such' an  hour  as   ye  think  not,   the- 
Son  of  Man  cometh."     Mat  :  xx.iv-19. 

"W'ebe  these  words  addressed  to  us  by  some 'venerable  patri- 
arch, who  had- himself  been  permitted  to  pass  the  usual  boundary  of 
human  life,  and  who  had  seen  generation  after  generation  melt  av.ay 
as  morning  clouds;  who  had  seen  the  young  and  the  beautiful 
/sicken  and  die,  the  strong  man  arrested  by  the  last  enemy,  the  tged 
falter,  and  go  down  beneath  the  blows  of  the  destroyer,  they  would 
surely  demand  the  most  serious  attention.  Or  if  some  inhabitant  of 
.  the  land  of  spirits  had  been  dispatched,  to  warn  %s  how  near  our 
careless  leet  are  daily  treading  to  the  confines-  of  two  worlds,  aid 
nearer  ever/  day,  who  would  not  listen  to  the  kind  admonition? 

One  greater,  infinitely  more  far  seeing  than  either  patriarch  or 

prophet,  or  angel,  He  who  speaks  as  "never  man  spake,"  addresses 

(us  in  my  text,  and  is  ever  repeating  the  warning  in   his  providence 

'  He  who  from  the  depths  of  the  eternal   past   to  the  dawn    of  time, 

and  tcu its  last  setting  sun,  and  through  the  everlasting  ages   of  the 

future,  has  seen  with  the  eye  of  omniscence   the  destiny  of  the  soul, 

and  has  estimated  its  value— He  it  is  who  says  to  /us   in  tones  of 

1  tender  solicitude,  ■'"  Be  ye  .also  ready." 

Our  own  experience  too,  though  young,  we  may  be,  teaches  us. 
the  mutability  of  all  earthly  things,  and  among  all  the  uncertain 
ties  of  life,  that  nothing  is  more  uncertain  than  life  itself.  However 
bright  the  prospect  before  us,  whatever  inducements  we'  may  have 
to  desire  .length  of  days,  however  strong  the*  ties  that  bind  us  to  the 
.relationship  of  earth,  none  of  them  afford  exemption  from'  the  in- 
exorable decree,  "  dust  thou  art,  and  unto  dust  thou  shalt  return." 
The  places  that  were  yesterday  scenes  of  festivity,  are  to-day  houses 
of  mourning — hoped  that  now  bud  with  beautiful  promises  for  the 
future,  may  to-morrow  lie  at  our  feet,  withered  and  crushed  as  if 
'blasted  by  fire  from  heaven.  The  paths  of  our  pilgrimage  at  every 
vperiod  in  life-  are  whitened  with  the  bones  of  the  dead,  and  moist 
with  the  tears  of  the  living.-  How  appropriate  then  that  we  lay  to 
Tieaft  the  solemn  words  of  inspiration,  "  be  ye  also  ready ;"  and  how 
important  that  we  be  prepared  to  endure  the  scrutiny  of  the  judg- 
ment that  follows  death,  and  how  gravely  interesting  becomes 

I.    Tlie  enquiry  naturally  suggested  by  the  text :  What  is  meant' 
by  being  prepared  1m  the  coming  of  the  §oa  of  Mm  ? 


In  this  chapter  the  Saviour  describes  the  destruction  of  Jerusa- 
lem, and  the  end  of  the  world,  and  from  one  to  the  other  the  transi- 
tion is  almost  imperceptible,  so  thjat  the  two  objects  seem  to  bj- 
blended  together,  while  they  are  really  perfectly  distinct.  The 
coming  of  the  Son  of  Man  refers  particularly  to  the  second  appear* 
ance  of  Christ  upon  earth,  when  he  shall  descend  m  power  and 
glory  to  judge  its  inhabitants,  and  to  give  to  each  the  reward' of  histf 
deeds,  whether  good  or  evil.     With  us,  as  with   those  to  whom  he 

rspoke,  it  will  not  be,  I  apprehend,  to  determine  the  destiny  of  the 
soul  but  to  consummate  its  happiness  or  its  woe,  and  in  the  eyes  of 
the  assembled  universe,  to  give  expression  to  his  approval  or  con- 
demnation. The  question  as  to  which  class  we  may  belong,  the 
righteous  or  the  wicked,  will  have  been  settled  long  before  the  arch- 
angel's trumphet  shall  summon  the  generations  of  time  to  the  tribu- 

"  nnl  of  the  final  day.  In  Eccl.  xxi:  7  it  is  written,  "  Then  shall  the 
dust  return  to  the  earth  as  it  was,  and  the  spirit  shall  return  unto 
God  who  gave  it."  This  evidently  is  the  state  of  man  immediately" 
after  death,  for  preceding  the  final  judgment,  and  in  connection  with 
it,  the  resurrection  of  the  body  shall  occur,  and  that  ■  body  shall  be 
immortal  am  die  no  more..  Nor  can  we  suppose  that  the  spirit 
which  is  said  to  return  to  G-od,  shall,  prepared  or  unprepared,  dwell 
with  him  until  the  revelations  of  the  last  day,  nor  that  it  is  to  remain 
in  some  intermediate  state,  neither  happy  nor  miserable,  nor  yet  in. 
a  condition  preparatory  to  its  future  destiny  receiving  a  measure  of 
joy  or  suffering.  The  same  elements  of  character  which  will  qualify 
or  disqualify  it  for  the  presence  of  God,  and  the  enjoyment  of  his  _ 
love  after  the  judgment  exist  before  it.  •  » 

But  we  are  not  left  to  the' wild  fancies  of  imagination,  or  the 
uacertain  light  of  unassisted  reason.  The  scriptures  are  not  silent 
here.'  The  Saviour  assured  his  disciples,  John  xiv.-23,  "I  goto 
prepare  a  place  for  you,  and  if  I  go  and  prepare  a  place  for  you,  I 
.will  come  again  and  receive  you  unto  myself;  that  where  I  am,  there 
ve  may  be  also."-    A  few  years  after,  the  disciples  died,  their  bodies 

/  were  given  to"  the  dust.     Are  their  spirits  wanderers  and  aliens  from 
the  mansions  of  which  he  told  them  there  were  many  m  his  Father's 
house*?     In  the  ecstasy  of  his- dying  hour   the  martyr  Stephen  said, 
Acts  7.56:   "Behold  I  see  the  heavens- opened,  and  the  Son  of  Man 
standing  on  the  right   hand  of  God;"  and  with  the   glorious  vision 
"before  his  eyes  cried,    "Lord  Jesus  receive  my  spirit.".     Did  Christ 
reveal  himself  to  the  dying  saint  but  to  disappoint  him,  and  to  leave-  ■ 
his  soul  in  exile  to  this  hour?     Paul  says,  2  Tim.  4.6:    "The  tirr.e 
qf  my  departure  is  at  hand."     "Whither  ?     He    tells   us  in   another^ 
place!  2  Cor.  5.1  :   "For  we  know  that  if  our  earthly  house  of  this* 
tabernacle  were  dissolved,  we  have  a  building  of  God,  an  house  net 
made  with  hands  eternal,    in 'the  heavens."  .  There  is  the  dwelling 
for  which  his  spirit  longed  when  he  wrote  to  the  Phillippians,  1.23  i 
"  having  a  desire  to  depart  and  to-be  with  Christ,  which  is  Tar  better."*' 
Christ  inform^  us,  Luke.  16.22.23,®that  the  "beggar   died,  and  wasf 
carried  by  the  angels  into  Abraham's  bosom.    -The  rich  man  also   i 

m 


3 

Jflied  arid  was  buried,  and  in  hell  lie  lifted  up  his  eyes  being  in  tor- 
ment."   -Their  bodies  wasted  into  duit  and  their  spirits  went  to  the 

'places  for  which  they  were' prepared. 

De-ath  then  whenever   it  co^mes,   introduces  the   soul   into  that 

''state  for  which  it  is  fitted.  To'  ue  ready  for  that  event  which  must 
happen  alike  to  all,  is  to  be  reconciled  to  God,  to  lave  Jesus  as 
our.  Saviour,  to  know  the  cleansing  efficacy  of  hiS  blood,  to  bear 
withtn  us  the 'power  of  his,  grace,  restraining  from  sin,  and  leading 
to  love  and  holiness  and  good  fruits.  "Therefore  being  justified  by 
faith,  we  have  peace  with    God  through   our   Lord  Jesus  Christ," 

*  Komi  5.1.  The  carnal  mind  is  ever  striving  to  find  some  substi- 
tute* for  the  method  of  reconciliation  with  God  which  he  has  adopted, 
and  announced  for  the  good  -of  mankind,  or  else  the  subject  is  post- 
poned for  future  consideration.  Thus  if  the  claims  of  the  soul-  are 
entertained  at  all,  it  is  not  unusual"  to  find  a  man  relying  upon  his 
fidelity  to  the  relations  and  duties  of  life,  his  morality,  to  reach  the. 
end  for  which  Christ  died,  losing  sight  of  the  fact  that  he  defies  the 
authority,  and  discredits  the  end  of  God  which  declares,  Acts  4.12, , 
that  "there  is  none  other  name  (than  Christ)  under  heaven  given 
among  men  whereby  we  must  be  saved." 

In  these  days  some  entertain  tbe  wicked  delusion  that  he  who 

I    dies  for   his   country  will  be  saved  by  virtue  .of  his  patriotism.     I 

respect  integrity,  and  all   those  traits  of  character   that  elevate  and 

I    ennoble  man.     I  appreciate   the  patriotism  of  our  noble  army  of 

defenders,  whose  brave  bosoms  are   bared   to  the  storms  of  battle. 

V   'Their  lofty  courage,  their  unflinching  endurance,  their  gallant  deeds, 

their   sacrifice   and   their  perils,    endear  them  to  every  heart  th'as 

loves  liberty.     They  deserve  the  admiration  of  their  race;  but  what 

has  integrity  as  between  man  and  man,  or  love  cf  country,  to  do  with 

justification  before  God?     "What  do   they  accomplish   towards  the 

salvation  of  the  soul?     Nothing,  for  they  leave  their  possessor  just 

•  where  they  found  him,  a  transgressor  against  God.  A  man  acpused 
of  murder  might  wi'Ji  as  much  reason  plead  that  he  is- not  a  thief, 'or 
if  charged  with  treason,  answer  to  the  indictment  that  he  loves  his 
family.  Innocence  of  one  crime,  is  no  plea  against  another  which 
has  been  perpetrated!  Is  it  not  strange  and  sad  that  men  will  stultify 
themselves  upon  a  subject  with  regard  to  whbh  they  should  be  the 
most  candid. 

All  are  offenders  against  God,    "not  subject   to   his  law,"  and 

*<9- under  condemnation.     Faith  alone  in   him  who  "  was  wounded  for 

«<  ,our  transgressions,"  reconciles   to  God,    a  faith   that  renounces  sin 

.•*>•  and  self -righteousness,    and   embraces  Jesus  with   the  whole  heart, 

<4  that  lays  every  gift  and  grace  of  mind  and    body  upon   the  altar  of 

V)  love,  and  says,   "here  Lord  am  I— all  that  I  have  is  thine,"     There 

t     is  but  one    way  to   the   gates  of   the   celestial   city — that  which 

leads    beneath    the   cross.      There    is  but   one   wedding  _  garment 

,     that  the  Master  of  the  great  assembly  will  recognize — the  righteous- 

■ness  of  him  who  "  bore  our  griefs  and  carried  our  sorrows,"  Is.  53.4 

— but  one  mark  which  in  all  the  universe  will  designate  an  heir  of 


heaven: — the  blood  of  the  Lamb.  "With  them  justice  will  smfle- 
upon  the  "  chief  of  sinneis,"  without  them  Paul  would  be  an  outcast.  . 
Do  not  flatter  yourself  that  by  any  act  of  yours  you  may  win  the 
favor  of  God,  or  behold  his  glory,  or  taste  the  bliss  of  his  love.  To 
be  ready  for  the  coming  of  the  Son  of  Man,  your  conscience  must 
be  cleansed  from  sin,  and  your  guilt  atoned  for  by  his  bleod,  and 
your  nature  renewed  and  sanctified  by  the  Holy  Spirit.  Thus,  and 
thus  only  by  repentance,  faith,  and  holiness,  can  you  heed  the- 
gracious  warning  of  the  text :  "  Be  ya  also  ready,  for  in  such  an, 
hour  as  ye  think  not  the  Son  of  Man  cometh."  -  • 

A  part  of  a  Christian's  life  consists  in  watching — "watch  there- 
fore ;  for  ye  know  not  what  hour  your  Lord  doth  come,''  Mat. 
24.42  ;  '-'And  what  I  say  unto  you,  I  say  unto  all — watch,"  Mark 
13.37.  Christians  may  and  often  do  become  languid  and  drowsy. 
The  wise  virgins  slumbered  while  the  bridegroom  ■  tarried.  And 
hence  God's  people  are  often  surprised  by  the  approach  of  death. 
It»is' lamentably  true,  that  they  become  so  much  engrossed  with  the 
cares  of  the  world,  and  are  so  beguiled '  by  the  ''deceitfulness  of 
riches,  and  the  lust  of  other  things"  that  the  Son  of  Man  is  knock- 
ing at  the  door  when  they  least  expect,  him.  •  My  brethren,  if  we 
would  live  in  readiness  to  die,  we  must  live  near  to  God.  No  one 
is  startled  by  death  who  has  made  the  cross  his  refuge,  and  who 
never  leaves  his  refuge.  It  is  when  weiorsake  our  place  of  security, 
and  death,  like  a  cunning  enemy,  comes  between  the  soul  and  the 
cross,  that  dismay  fills  the  mind.  If  we  keep  habitually  so  near  our 
stronghold  that  upon  the  first  signal  of  danger  we  step  into  'it,  we 
'shall  never  be  seriously  alarmed.  But  if  we  wander  from  it,  and 
permit  ourselves  to  become  absorbed  in  other  things,-  we  may  find  it 
difficult  to  return,  Jesus  will  not  forsake  his  chosen,  nor  leave 
them  to  perish,  but  when  they  pursue  paths  which  lead  from  him, 
they  plant  thorns  to  pierceitheir  hearts  with  many  sorrows.  If  we 
would  meet;  the  last  enemy  undismayed,  we -must  meet  him  under 
the  banner  of  the  "Prince  of  peace."  Our  security  is  where  David 
found  his  'under  the  shadow'of  the  Almighty,'  Ps.  91.1  Then  when 
death  shall  come,  it  will  not  be  the  stern  executioner  of  a  sentence  ■ 
long  delayed  but  sure,  as  the  messenger  which  our  Father  sends 
to  conduct  us  to  his  presence  that  we  may  be  crowned  with  life 
everlasting. 

J    Let  me  mention,  II,  Some  reasons  why  we  should  give  heed  to 
the  ivarning  of  the  text. 

1.  Great  interests  are  involved  in  it.  . 

The  eternal  condition  of  the  soul  depends' upon  the  attention 
which  we  give  to  what  the  Saviour  has  said.  If  we  listen  and  obey, 
all  that  the  most  capacious  desire  can  wish,  all  that  immortality  can 
aspire  to,  shall  be  gratified  and.  infinitely  moje,  for  "eyexhath  not 
seen'norear  heard,  neither  have  entered  into  the  heart  of  man  the 
things  which  God  hath  prepared  for  them  that  love  him,"  1  Cor.: 
2.9.  If  we  neglect  the  admonition  we  not  only  lose  the  offered 
good,  but  we  shall  surely  suffer  the  threatened  evil — as  we  sow,  so 


shall  we  reap.  "He  that  soweth  to  his  flesh,  shall  of  the  flesh  reap 
corruption;  but  he  that  soweth  to  the  spirit  shall  of  the  spirit  reap 
life  eveTlasting" — Gal.  6.8.  To  an  unperverted  mind  it  would  at 
once  present  itself  as  a  duty  to  the  soul  to  prepare  for  that  future 
state  to  which  we  are  all  going.*  . 

It  is  not  a  matter  ot  choice  whether  you  will  go  there  or  not. 
Your  only  choice  is,  what  that  state  shall  be.  You  may  be  there 
before  the  sun  shall  set.  That  you  cannot  -control.  It  is  God's 
prerogative  to  appoint  the  time,  and  *  the  means  of  our  departure 
hence,  but  is  it  not  a  matter  of  the  first  importance  that  you  be  ready 
for  that  change  ?  Is  it  not  a  duty  which  you  ,owe  to  your  own  nttr* 
tality  to  do  what  God  requiresjor  its  well  being*1  True,  you  cannot 
save  your  own  soul  and  God  does  not  ask  this  of  you,  but  he  com- 
mands you  to  repent,'  to  forsake  your  sins,  to  believe  in  his  only 
begotten  son,  and  he  pledges  his  grace  as  all  sufficient  for  your  re- 
quirements. 

*  You  will  not  deny  that  it  is  a  man's  duty  to  provide  for  his 
body,  though  that  body_ cannot  live  very  long..  You  must  feed  and 
clothe,  and  shelter  it,  and  use  your  best  judgment,for  the  preserva- 
tion of  its  health,  and  I  suppose  you -will  admit  that,  the  man  is 
criminal  who  failsto  do  these  things.  '  Yet  that  -body  is  destined 
•  to  the  grave.  In  a  few^years  at  best — perhaps  in  a  very  few  days, 
or  hours  it  may  be — it  will  require  neither  food  nor  raiment"  still, 
you  can  care  for  it,  and  do  wisely.  But  here  is  the  soul  that  can 
never  die,  and  will  you  tell  me  that  it  is  not  your  "most  sslemn  duty 
to^make  provision  for  that?  If  you  are  not  a  Clristian,  you  tell  me 
so  everyday;  and  what  is  still  worse,  you  say  to  God,  the  author  of 
both,  that  you  will  tenderly  care  for  the  body,  you  will  gratify  its 
appetites,  you  will  indulge  its  tastes,  you  will  cherish  and  caress  it; 
but  as  for  the  soul,  it  must  take  care  of  itself.  Strange  inconsistency, 
wonderful  delusion,  fatal* infatuation  with  the  world.  You  will  find 
your  neglect  to  be  folly,  your  indifference  to  be  the  forerunner  of 
endless  woe.  .  . 

I  might  speak  of  the  duty  which  you  owe  to  others,  the  influence 
that  you  exert,  and  the  part  which  you  play  in  controlling  .their  con- 
duct, and  thus  affecting  their  eternal  destiny;  and  for  which  you 
will  beheld  responsible  by  the  Judge  of  all  the  earth.  1  only 
allude  to  it  and  pass  on.     ( . 

There  is  a  higher  duty  than  either  of  which  I  have  spoken,  and 
embraced  in  it,  a  purer  motive — your  duty  to  God,  to  love,  to  serve, 
to  reverence  and  obey  him.  You  can  show  no  brighter  honor  ■  to 
him,  you  can  offer  no  more  acceptable  service  upon  earth'  than  -by 
preparing  to  dwell  with  him  in  eternity.  Your  Master,  your  Bene- 
factor, your  Bedeemer,  He  has  done  you  nothing  but  good  all  the 
days  of  your  life,  and  though  ill-requited,  the  door  or  mercy^s  open 
still,  and  still  the  voice  of  heavenly  love  invites  you  to  enter,  and  be 
blessed  forever.  You  would  not  dishonor  your  fatherr  you  would 
not  slight  your  mother,  yet-  you  do  both  to  one  who  is  more  than, 
father  and  mother,  and  all  other   beings  combined,  who  has  borne 


wMi  your  faults,  and  loved  you  so  tenderly  that  to  save  you  from 
the  horrors  of  the  second  death  he  gave  his  well  beloved  son  a 
ransom  for  your  soul. 

2.  You  know  not  at  what  moment  your  Lord"  may  come. 
The  fact  that  he  will  come  is  not  doubted  by  the  most  sceptical.  ' 
'When  he  will  appear  is  unknown — it  is"  his  secret.  For  each  one 
(he  hour  and  the  manner  of  his  death  are  determined.  At  any 
moment  we  may  find  ourselves  confronting  the -last  enemy.  We 
walk  in  peril  every  hour,  and  know  not  that 'hand  upon  the  dial  may 
not  now  point  to  that  which  shall  close  your  history,  or  mine..  "  Sure- 
ly, every  man  walketh  in  a,  vain  show."  There  may  be  an  appearance 
of  security,  and  often  is,  it  the  instant  the  fatal  blow  isstiuek.  There 
are  times  and  seasons  for  all  things  else,  but  death  is  restricted  to 
to  none.  .        ■ 

"Leaves  have  their  time  to  fall, 
*       And  flowers  to  wither  at  the  North  wind's  breath : 
And  stars  to  set :  but  all, 
Thou  hast  all  seasons  for  thine  own,  oh  Death." 

How  frequently,  and  how  sadly  are  we  'taught  the  truthfulness 
of  the  text:  "  in  such  an  hour -as  ye  think  not  the  Son  of  Man 
cometh."  And  especially  of  late  how  have  the  illustrations  of  the 
uncertainty  of  life  been  multiplied  in*  our  community,  and  in  our 
church.  But  .a  few  days  ago  this  bell  rung  outv  in  doleful  tones  the 
solemn  news  that  another  "gocth  to  his  long  home" — not  the  infirm, 
the  aged,  but  *lhe  young,  with  the  flush  of  early  manhood  on  his 
cheek,  and  before  the  ho^pes  of  youth  had  passed  the  vanity  of  life; 
He  went  out  from  us  buoyant  and-fcopeful,  with  a  noble  ambition 
stirring  the  blood  in  his  young  heart.  He  came  back  here  sfcon, 
only  to  occupy  his  narrow  house  among  your  dead.  You  understand 
my  allusion  to  our  dear  young  brother  Sumner^-whose  face  is  so 
familiar  m  this  house,  and  whose  earnest  countenance  as  he  listened 
to  the  word  of  God,  I  can  never  forget.  It  was  not  my  privilege  to 
be  with,  you  at  his  burial,  but  I  must  take  this  occasion  to  bear  my 
testimony  to  his  consistent  walk  as  a  christian,  and  his  worth  as  a 
young  maD,  than  whom  none  gave  promise  of  greater  usefulness  in 
the  church,  and  in  the  world.  ,  ,  • 

-  James  C.  Sumner,  son  of  Rev*.  M.  T.  and  Mrs.  G.  S'.  Sumner, 
was  born  at  Wilmington,  Fluvanna  county,  Va.(  September  24, 
1840— and  died  at  Charleston,  Tenn.,  August  25,  1862.  He  spent 
a  year  at  Richmond  College,  Va.,  and  in  1858  removed  to  this 
place  and  engaged  in  teaching,  in  which  he  was  unusually  success- 
ful. A  diligent  student,  he  was  laying  a  broad  foundation  for  future 
usefulness,  when  this  cruel  war  commenced,  and  in  common  with 
the  sentiment  of  t%e  times,  he  felt  that  it  was  his  duty  to  lay  aside 
the  plans  wnich  he  had  marked  out  for  himself,  and  give  his  services 
to  the  country.  He  joined  the  41st  Regiment  Alabama  Yolunteers, 
commanded  by  our  fellow-townsman  and  brother-  Col.  Talbird,  and 
-by  his  fidelity,  intelligence  and  kindness  of  heart  soon  won  the  oonfi- 


dence  and  affection  of  his  officers  and  fellow-soldiers.  Though  he 
fell  not  upon  the  battle-field,  he  was  not  less  truly  a  martyr  to 
liberty. 

He  made  a  profession  of  religion  early  in  life,  and  kept  it 
through  that  critical  period  from  youth  to  manhood,  as  a  sacred 
thing.  •  Modest  and  retiring  irt  his  disposition  and  deportment,  he 
would  not  shrink  from  any  duty.  "With  manly  firmness  he  com- 
bined rthe  gentleness  of  a  child.  In  connection  with  his  death,  I 
Will  give  you  the  simple,  touching,  stirring  narrative  of  the  lady  at 
whose  house  he  'breathed  his  life  out,'  as  embodied  in  the  following 
letter  to  his  mother  : 

Charleston,  Tenn.,  August  26th,  1862. 
Mrs.  Sujiner — Dear  Lady  :  At  the  request  of  my  mother,  I  take  my  pen- 
to  tell  you  how  the  Death  Angel  shadowed  our  home  with  his  dark  wing. 

,.     The  41st  Alabama  Regiment  came  here  something   near  three  or  lour 
weeks  ago.     I  am  happy  to  say  they  met  with  friends  at  every  point  as  soon 
as  they  landed...  Quite  a  number  in  the  regiment  were  sick,  and  the  number 
daily  increated.     Some  eight  in  number  were  brought  to  my  father's  house, 
among  them  your  son.     My  mother  visited  them  jegularly  three  or  four  times 
a  day,  and  when  your  son  first  saw  my  mother,  he  said  to  her,  "  you  must  be 
my  mother  noio,"  and  she  told  him  that  she  would.     He   seemed  to  love  her 
so  much  after  that  and  would  often  have  her  called  back  to  his  side,  before 
she  could  get  down  the  steps  from  first  leaving  him.     He  was  impressed  from 
the  first  that   his  illness  would  be  unto   death,   and  the  persuasions  of  his 
friends,  together  with    the  influence  of  my  mother,   could  »ot  in   the  least 
change  his  mind  regarding  that.     One' evening  he  grew  so  happy.     The  river 
of  love  in  his  heart  for  God  overflowed,  and  his  lips  gave  utterance  to  only 
thenjost  beautiful  and  purest  of  words.     He  said  he  would  die  but  death  for 
him  bad  no  sting.     He  had  her  to  get  the  Bible  and  open  at   the  23d  Psalm 
and  he  repeated  every  word  after  my  mother  as  she  read  it.     Then  he  asked 
her  to  read  the  1 4th  chapter  of  St.  John,   she  told   him    she  would,  but  he 
must. not  talk  any  more  otherwise  he  would  exhaust  himself.  -  He  promised 
her  he  would  not,  and  she  read  it  to  him.     He  would  occasionally  stop  her  to 
make  some  comments  upon  verses  he  particularly  liked  and  tell  her  what  a 
comfort  they  had  been  to  him      He  asked' her  if  she  thought  it  possible  that 
any  one  could  be  so  near  and  so  sure  of  death,  and  yet  feel  so  little  fear.    The' 
only  things  he  said  that  at  all  troubled  him  was  that  he  knew  how  much  fath- 
er, mother,  sisters  and   brothers  had  loved   him,    and  they  would  grieve  so. 
"  Tell  them"  he  said,  ''Mrs.  Barrett,  that  they  must  not  grieve  so  much  tor 
me.     It  will  only  be  a  little  while  until  we  meet  in  Heaven.     I  go  but  a  shoit 
time  before  them  to  the  Mansion  not  made  with    hands.     I  have  a  sister,  he 
went  on  to  say,  "who  was  the  instrument  through  God  in  bringing  me  to 
Christ.     How  I  love  that  sister  no  one  can  tell — no  one  can  express — I  lova 
her  better  than  any  one  on  earth.''     Ah  !  true  sister,  is  it  not  a  good  tho  ught 
to  your  heart  fh at  when  you,  too,,  shall   have   crossed  the   mystic  river  and 
entered  the  pearly  gate,  that  Jesus  shall  siy,  as  he  places  the  starry  crown 
.upon  your  brow  and  points   to  the  brightest  star,    "  Thy  brother's   soul,  my 
child."     It  seems  to  me  I  would  willingly  suffer  every  anguish  earth  can  in- 
flict, to  only  know,  I  had  won  a  single  soul  to  Heaven.     He  said  "there  are 
some  of  my  father  s  household  who  have  not  known  Christ,  tell  them  to  meet 
me  in  Heaven — I  long  to  meet  them  there — to   know  them  in  the  home  be- 
yond the  sick;  and.  again,  he  said  "  tell  the  Pastor  of  my  church  I  want  him, 
the  first  Sabbath  after  he  hears  that  J  am  dead,  to  tell  to  all  from  the  pulpit, 
how  I  died-,  and  that  old  Sabbath:  school  friends  are  not  forgotten"  and  tell 
them  to  live  closer  to  Christ.'    He  said  "tell  my  Pastor  that  death  had  no 
shadow  of  a  fear  for  me.    T  felt  I  was  going  straight  home;"  all  the  evening 


8 

long  he  talked  in  the  same  beautiful  way.  The  last  two  or  three  days  be- 
fore he  died  he  was  delerious  almost  all  the  time,  and  often  called  the  names 
of  Sabbath  schoolteacher  and  home  loved  ones.  He  knew  my  mother  the 
eveniDg  before  he  died,  for  she  placed  some  soup  to  his.  lips,  and  said  drink 
some  of  this  Jimmie,  and  he  looked  up  in  her  face  acd  smiled,  then  she' said 
do  you  know  me?  and  he  replied  "yes;  you  are  Dr.  Barrett."  Hi3  mind 
was  not  perfectly  clear,  else;  he  would  not  have  replied  so,  yet  still  it  shows 
he  knew  her.  Believe  me,  dear  lady,  we  did  all  in  our  power  to  alleviate  his 
sufferings,  I  would  not  have  you  to  think  he  suffered  for  attention.  We  of 
our  little  village  have  too  many  dear  ones  far  from  home  to  close  our  hearts 
against  stranger  soldiers,  especially,  when  we  find  them  kind,  and  noble  and 
good.  His  fellow  soldiers  were  to  see  him  all  though  the  days  and  nights, 
and  I  have  seen  many  tears  coursing  down  bronzed  checks,  a,n  1  filling  eyes 
taut  looked  unused  to  weeping  as  they  watched  his  suffering  and  listened  to 
QiS  mc<$herent  words.  He  died  at  two  o'clock  in' the  morning,  while  the 
holy  stars  were  shining,  his  soul  took  the  "one  step  into  the  darkness — then 
God's  eternal  day."  ... 

Dear  lady  may  God — He  who  was  the  "pillar  of  cloud"  by  day  and  pillar 
of  lire  "  by  night  to  wandering  Israel — be  ever  to  you  and  family  a  guide  and 
nratector.  In  ey^ry  time  of  weakness,  as  Hie  '  sSado^f  of  a  great  rock  in  a 
weary  hind.    In  every  time  of  trouble,  may  Jesus  be  your  ftiend. 

"  Mother  of  on  ange?"  may  God  bless  you  ever  and  forever. 

Your  stranger  friend, 

Mary  L.  Barrett. 

Oh!  you  who  leave  no  hope  in  Jesus,  tell  me,  could  you  meet 
deaih  thus? 

He  had  laid  to  heart  the  words  from  which  I  have -spoken  to  you, 
and  when  the  Master  came,  he  was  ready.  How  much  shall  we' 
miss  him  in  the  house  of  prayer,  in  the  Sabbath  school,  in  his  own 
.school  and  in  social  life.  It  is  sad  to  lose  one,  .  so  lovely  and  so 
promising,  but  Jesus  knows  best  where  to  place  his  children,  and 
should  we  murmur  because  he  has  taken  him  higher,  and  nearer  to 
his  own  person?  Rather  let  us  rejoice  in  his  promotion  to  glories, 
which  we,  through  older,  are  not  permitted  to  behold.  He  '•has'  fin- 
ished 341s  course.  His  sun  has  gone  down  while  it  was  yet  day." 
Let  us  thank  God  for  the  brightness  of  its  setting,  and  pray  that  our 
end  may  be  like  his,  triumphant  through  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ. 
A  mem.  ,  , 


